1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a portable terminal apparatus such as a smartphone or a tablet computer terminal, an information processing apparatus such as a personal computer and a multifunctional digital image processing apparatus (i.e., a multi-function peripheral abbreviated as MFP) having printer function, facsimile function, scanner function, and other functions, a character input method, and a recording medium.
2. Description of the Related Art
The following description sets forth the inventor's knowledge of related art and problems therein and should not be construed as an admission of knowledge in the prior art.
Some information processing apparatuses such as image processing apparatuses as described above are known for their touch-panel display portions that display a screen having a character input area, allowing users to input a string in the character input area and start a predetermined process by pressing a start key. For example, users can input characters such as user names and passwords on a user name and password input screen to log onto and use such an information processing apparatus. Users also can input a string for string search.
Users conventionally have used a method as described below to input characters in a character input area.
Referring to FIG. 12, a screen D6 is displayed on a display 310 of an information processing apparatus 300; users press (touch) a character input area 321a, a character input area 321b, or a keyboard display key 322 on the screen D6. The screen then switches to a screen D7 of FIG. 12 and the screen D7 shows a character input tool 323 that is an original software keyboard installed on the information processing apparatus 300, as well as the character input areas 321a and 321b. Users input characters in the character input areas 321a and 321b by touching character keys of the character input tool 323.
This method, however, has a problem as described below. Users are unfamiliar to the character input tool 323 that is an original tool provided by the manufacturer of the information processing apparatus 300 and they need to make some efforts to learn use of it.
Users do not need to use the original character input tool 323 with a first technique, as described below, which is publicly known. In this character input method, users input characters in a character input area of the information processing apparatus by inputting characters on portable terminal apparatuses that they usually use, such as smartphones and tablet computer terminals.
More specifically, as illustrated in FIG. 12, the screen D7 shows the character input tool 323 that is an original keyboard, as well as the character input areas 321a and 321b. While the screen D7 is displayed on the display 310 of the information processing apparatus 300, users enable a wireless access, for example, between their portable terminal apparatuses and the information processing apparatus 300. On the screen, users press a start key (not shown in this figure) for starting an input method editor (IME) that is common character input assistant software for portable terminal apparatuses; the portable terminal apparatuses then display an IME-based character input tool that user usually use, on the displays. Meanwhile, the information processing apparatus 300 indicates on the display 310 that the IME is now active.
After inputting characters with the character input tool that they usually use by operating their portable terminal apparatuses, users submit the input characters; the portable terminal apparatuses then transfer the string to the information processing apparatus 300. Receiving the string from the portable terminal apparatuses, the information processing apparatus 300 puts it into the character input area.
There is a second technique, as described below, which is also publicly known. In this method, address data stored on their portable terminal apparatuses is transferred to the information processing apparatus 300 by operating the information processing apparatus; the information processing apparatus 300 converts the address data into a display format supported on the information processing apparatus 300 itself and displays it in a certain area on the display 310 of the information processing apparatus 300 itself. The “address data” here represents information stored on the portable terminal apparatuses, for example: names and email addresses.
Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2010-146504 suggests an information processing system that is capable of handling screen information by picture objects, the screen information being received from a remote terminal. The information processing system has one or more remote apparatuses each transmitting a screen image having a plurality of picture objects and picture area information representing areas of the screen image in which the plurality of picture objects are positioned. The information processing system also has a local terminal connected to the one or more remote apparatuses through a network, the local terminal receiving the image and the picture area information from the one or more remote apparatuses, clipping images out of the received image with reference to the received picture area information, the images corresponding to the plurality of picture objects, and displaying the clipped images on a display screen.
The technique disclosed in the Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2010-146504, however, has a problem as described below. With this technique, users need to display a character input tool of their portable terminal apparatuses on the displays of their portable terminal apparatuses by operating the information processing apparatus, need to input characters with the character input tool on their portable terminal apparatuses, then need to check the input characters on the information processing apparatus; in this way, they are bothered by going back and forth between their portable terminal apparatuses and the information processing apparatus. Users further need to start an IME of their portable terminal apparatuses from the information processing apparatus and to input characters from their portable terminal apparatuses, which is also troublesome.
With the second technique, as described above, address data stored on their portable terminal apparatuses is transferred to the information processing apparatus 300 by operating the information processing apparatus; the information processing apparatus converts the address data into a display format supported on the information processing apparatus itself and displays it in a certain area on the display of the information processing apparatus itself. This method has another problem as described below. Although users can finish various operations, for example: selecting an address from the address data stored on their portable terminal apparatuses and performing a flick gesture, only by operating the information processing apparatus, users still need to use a character input tool other than an IME-based character input installed on their portable terminal apparatuses because the information processing apparatus is not allowed to display the IME-based character input tool on its display.
The technique disclosed in the Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2010-146504 also has another problem. With this technique, the information processing apparatus is not allowed to access functions of the portable terminal apparatuses but only allowed to display picture objects stored on the portable terminal apparatuses.
The description herein of advantages and disadvantages of various features, embodiments, methods, and apparatus disclosed in other publications is in no way intended to limit the present invention. Indeed, certain features of the invention may be capable of overcoming certain disadvantages, while still retaining some or all of the features, embodiments, methods, and apparatus disclosed therein.